Measles hits the 100-case mark in Kentucky

Kentucky has now confirmed more than 100 cases of measles as the state grapples with its highest case load this century. 

According to the state’s measles dashboard, Kentucky has confirmed 104 cases of the highly contagious disease, more than half of which were confirmed in September. 

The Department for Public Health previously said this year is the worst for measles in Kentucky since 1991. That year, Kentucky had 443 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and they were mostly in children younger than five. This year, 12 cases are in children younger than five years old; 47 are in children between the ages of 5-17; 45 are in people 18 and older. 

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Christian County has the most confirmed measles cases this year — 44. 

Of the 104 cases, 102 occurred in unvaccinated people, according to the state’s data. One case occurred in a fully vaccinated person and one occurred in a person with one dose of the MMR vaccine, which experts say is the best defense against measles. There have not been any confirmed measles deaths. 

Measles is extremely contagious and spread through the air from coughs or sneezes, according to the CDC. One infected person can infect nine in 10 unprotected people around them. 

Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash. The best protection against measles is the measles vaccination, which is generally available at pharmacies and through medical providers. 

The CDC recommends the measles vaccination series at 12-15 months and then at 4-6 years old. 

The United States is seeing a resurgence of measles, a highly contagious disease eliminated in the country nearly three decades ago.

As of Oct. 8, there were more than 4,000 confirmed cases of measles and 42 outbreaks in the U.S., according to the CDC.